Can You Spot the Kid Drowning in This Public Pool Before the Lifeguard Does?

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Can You Spot the Kid Drowning in This Public Pool Before the Lifeguard Does?

With summer in full swing, this astonishing video is well worth the watch… then the re-watch. Did you spot the drowning victim before the lifeguard did?

If not, you’re not alone. According to the CDC, there are approximately ten deaths every day caused by unintentional drowning. Of these ten victims, two are under the age of fourteen. The UK Daily Mail reports that approximately half of children who become the victims of drowning die within twenty five yards of an adult or parent.

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The phenomenon isn’t limited to public pools, either. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reports that in 2012 there were about 364 children under the age of 15 who drowned fatally in a pool. The majority of these deaths occurred in residential pools.

These startling statistics in mind, take a moment to know and understand what drowning does (and does not) look like. Though this video has sound, note that ambient noise makes it impossible to hear the drowning child’s calls for help. Drowning victims (particularly children who might not have well-developed upper body strength) might not be able to even wave their arms. What this means is that, unlike in the movies, there won’t be a great deal of noise or splashing to alert a bystander that the victim might need help. Drowning victims may, in fact, be very still and quiet; if you notice that an individual in the pool doesn’t seem to be moving very much (particularly if their head is tilted forward into the water, and/or their body is positioned vertically in the water), that should be as much cause for concern as splashing and shouting.

Unfortunately, there isn’t an easy fix for pool accidents; constant vigilance is required to ensure maximum water safety. Make certain that your children understand their limitations in the water (how far they can swim, as well as their comfort level with water depth). If you are supervising multiple children, consider using a buddy system in which the kids also know to look out for each other while in the pool. Flotation devices may make good aids when a child is first learning to swim, but should never be relied upon as failsafe life-saving devices. Simply because your child is equipped with “floaties” does not mean he is invincible in the pool (the child in this video, after all, was using an inner tube when he needed a rescue). If the pool is very crowded, you will need to be extra cautious; as this video demonstrates, a crowded pool makes a drowning person harder to spot as he is easily camouflaged by other bodies.

The key to a safe summer is a steady eye; what are some other signs of drowning that you can spot in this video which might help you identify trouble should you encounter it at the pool?